Plug valve



June 10, 1947;

F. EfsHEL -Y PLUG VALVE Filed April 23, 1943 ATTORNEYS tion;

; Patented June 10,

actress rave VALVE Franklin E. sneuy, Louisville, 1a.,

Tube Turns Loulsville Kentucky aaslgnor to Ky., a corporation ofApplication April 23,1943, Serial No. 04,100

The present inventi n relates to improvements in valves of the turningplug type. The ordinary tapered valve plug mounted i a correspondinglytapered seat very often sticks fast to its seatdue, to corrosion,lodgement of,

sediment or for other reasons, so that a great deal of force isnecessaryto turn the plug. Various expedients have beenthis seizing ofthe valve plug.

This invention relates more particularly to that type or construction inwhich the operating handle of the valve plug is so constructed that itmay serve not only to turn the plug, but also to force the plug axiallyso as to break it loose from the seat. I

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a valve of theplug type having 9.

new and improved plug sealing, releasing and rotating means which dssimple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to operate.As one important feature, there is-provided an improved construction ofa stufllng box which is easily accessible for adjustment, repair orreplacement without interlerence from said [plug' operating device, andwhich is effective even during plug releasing operations to maintain afluidtight joint. As a further featurethere is provided a resilientpacking means'which serves not only to form a fluid-tight seal, but alsoto yieldingly hold the valve in its seat.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following particular description, and from aninspection of the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is afragmentary top plan view of one form of plug valve embodying thepresent inven- Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a side elevation.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

and

F g. 5 is a other embodiment'of certain features of the presentinvention.

Referring to Fig valve has a casing or body In desirably of forged steeland T-shaped to provide aligned tubular extensions I I, and a tubularneck I! between said extensions. Thetubularextensions il define inletand outlet" flow passages i3 respectivelyyand are suitably shaped forconnection to pipes, as for example by welding. Between these flowPassages i3 is a chamber, the walls of which form a tapering valve seatIt receiving a'rotary tapered valve, plug l'l having'a port ll'which maybe 'moved into and out of registry with said uggested to overcome,

fragmentary sideelevation of an-.

of the drawings, the

= 2Claims. (01.251-97) plug to the seat by the tightening or thesebolts.

. of the valve stem II and has operative engagepassages by rotation "ofthe plug, to control flow through the valve. Integral with or otherwiserigid with one end of the plug I1 is a cylindrical valve stem it ofreduced diameter to define with the plug I! an axiallyfacing shoulder'22 atthe larger end of the plug. This valve stem 2| extends through theneck II of the casing II, and

'is engaged by a stuillng box providing a fluidtight'seal between saidstem and said neck. For that purpose, the valve stem II is smaller indiameter than the bore of the. neck It to form an annular space for thereception of resilient packing means. This is shown as a series ofpacking rings II which may be of resilient material, and.,which aredesirably of the so-called metallic type'having the characteristics ofbeing suillciently hard to give desired sealing action and also havingconsiderable resiliency; As a part of the resilient packing means, thereis shown a pairof spring washers 24. These may best either end of thepacking rings 23 mintermediate of the series. They are shown betweenthe'rings and the shoulder 22. This resilient packing is held in placeby a gland 2i 'slidable in the neck I! and secured by a pair of bolts 28passing through diametrically opposite pairs of lugs 21 and 2t integralvor otherwise rigid with saidgland and the casing i0 respectively. Theresilient packing means may be put under the desired compression toyieldingly hold the For rotating the plug to open or close the valve,the plug is provided with a handle 31 which may also be operated tobreakthe plug loose from its seat by moving the plug endwise. This may bedone preliminary to the turning of the plug or at any other timedesired. As shown, thelever is pivotallysecured to -the upper end mentwitha fixed tubular cam table 33, concentrically encircling the gland 2iand the stem 2|. The cam table "is rigid with the neck I! of the valvecasing ill, and may be integralthere with, welded thereto or secured inother suitable means. It extends axially beyondthe gland 25, and is.provided with a pair of diametrically opposed slots 34extending-transversely of the table 33 to receive the radialgland lugs21 and permit, them to freely slideduring adjustment. These gland lugs21 extend outwardly beyond the. outer periphery of the cam table", sothat 'thebolts 28 are readily and conveniently accessible for glandadjustment.

The cam table 33 may have a continuous cylin drical lower section andslots in the upper section to receive the gland lugs 21, or it may beslotted all of the way so that it is composed of two separate segments35 circumferentlally spaced to define the two slots 34.

For pivotally receiving the plug operating lever 32. the outer endot-sthe valve stem 2| has its pp s sides atte ed to form a shank 26 ofreduced width which is apertured to receive a. pivot pin 31. The lever32 is formed at one end with a clevis having branches 28 flanking theflat sides of the stem shank 3i and apertured to receive the pivot pin31. This pin is retained in the lever clevis against axial movement byany suitable means, as for example a head 29 at one end and a cotter pin40 at the other end.

Each oi the lever branches 28 is formed with or has otherwise rigidtherewith a cam 42 engaging the cam table 23. In the form shown in Figs.1 to 4, the cams 42 are of cylindrical shape liftingp wer applieduniformly at opposite sides of the plug II will cause said plug to beraised from its seat l4 in the line of its longitudinal axis without anylateral binding of the plug on its seat.

The eccentricity of the cams 42 is desirably so arranged that when thelever 32 is at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the valve plugII as shown in Fig. 3, neither the highest nor. lowest parts of saidcams are in contact with the cam table 33. The eccentricity of thesecams 42 are desirably arranged so that the'maximum throw section is inthe lower left-hand quadrant of the cams as viewed in Fig. 3, while theminimum throw section is in. the upper right-hand quadrant, and thediametrical line of maximum and minimum cam throw extends substantiallyat an angle of 45 with theplane of the cam table. With this arrangement,as the lever 32 is raised from the position shown in Fig. 3, t he throwoi the eccentrics 42 progressively increases until said lever-has beenraised about 46. During this rotation of the lever 22, the cammingaction described exerts a lifting force on the plug i1 against thespring action or the resilient packing means on the valve stem, therebyicosening said Plug from its seat. After this preliminary plug releasingoperation, the lever 32 while in inclined plug releasing position orafter return .to the position shown, can be rotated about the axis ofthe plug 11 to rotate said Plug and open the valve. ment or the plug l1,the two eccentric cams l2 ride on respective segmentsiiof thecamtableil'i.

The maximum turn of' the plug fl'l between 'i-ully opened and fullyclosed position is approximately 90, so that the-ms 42 during thisrotary plug movement ride :along 90 :sections of the two segments oi the:cam table 183. The two :slots 3! extend substantially at 45 the Duringthis rotary muveaxial plane a as viewed in EEG. 4, so that the tworectangular axial planes ik sand 3 are symmetrrically ior centrallyarranged with respect to the 'two table segments Ii. with thisarrangemerittthe cams 42 will ride con said segments 2! betweenblimiting planes A mad 3 and along the central these segments.

when the lever 22 is returned to a plane. Darallel to themam table, theresilient packing means will :reaeat the valve plug 11. However, thisre- :turn or the .plug Il into seated position will not refreeze theplug, since any corrosion or foreign 4 9 its seat is broken. Therefore,once the plug i1 is loosened from its seat, it may be readily turnedeven without lifting the handle 22.

The releasing of the plug H from its seat is not attended by loss ofsealing emciency of the stufllng box. As a matter oifact, the releasingmovement of the plu I'L increases the compression of the packing 22, andtherefore renders sealing by the stuiling box more eil'ective duringthis operation.

The eccentricity of the cams 42 is so arranged with respect to the pivotpin 21 that the lever 32 will operate equally whether it extendshorizontally to the right as shown in Fig. 3 or to the left. From eitherposition, the plug II can be released by an angular movement of thehandle to a maximum limiting position of approximately 45.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5. each of the cams insteador being in the form of an eccentric, consists of two projections 50extending from a cylindrical hub 5| forming part of each branch of thelever. clevis. These cam projectidns 50 extend at an angle with respectto the vertical axial plane as shown in Fig. 5, so that the releasingmovement of the valve plug away from its seat is eiifected not by anoutward angular movement of the handle 22a, as in the construction ofFigs. 1-4, but by a depressing movement towards the valve casing. Thetwo cam projections 50 on each side of the lever clevis are arranged sothat in either right-hand or lefthand position of the lever 32a shown inFig. 5, the valve plug can be moved from its seat by a similardepressing movement of said lever.

In order to prevent the lever 32a from being turned-beyond limitingpositions, each of the segments of the cam gland 32 is provided with astop 52 in position to engage the cam projections 50 in limitingpositions of the plug.

As many changes can be made in the above apparatus, and many apparentlywidely diiferent embodiments oi this invention can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A valve comprising a casing having a tapering valve seat andpresenting a cam tabl having spaced sections, a rotary tapered valveplug in said seat, as'izem rigid with said ,plug and defining therewithan :axially facing shoulder, a packing around a gland encircling saidstem for pressing :said packing against said shoulder, said gland havinga pair of opposed lugs extending outwardly between the sections of saidcam table, means engaging said lugs for adjusting said gland, and alever pivotally connected to said stem beyond said gland, and having apair of spaced cams rigid therewith and engaging with and movable alongsaid cam table as said valve plug is rotated.

2. A valve comprising a casing having a tapering valve seat, a taperingvalve plug adapted to lit said seat, a stem rigid with said plug anddefining therewith an axially facing shoulder on I said plug, a stufllngbox for maintaining a fluidtight joint around said stem and including apacking around said stem, a gland around said stem and bearing againstsaid packing to press said packing between said shoulder and said gland,and means adjustably securing said gland matter which had previouslyseized the plug in (I to said casing, atransversely extending pivot pin5 on the outer end of said stem, a lever pivoted on said pin beyond saidstuifing box and having a pair of cams, a tubular cam table encirclingsaid stem and engaging said cams, said table being rigid with saidcasing and having an opening in the wall thereof, and means in saidopening for adjusting said gland.

FRANKLIN E. SHELLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number m Number UNITED STATES PATENTS i Name Date McFarlane' Jan, 3,1939 Wilson Apr. 1, 1941 Carroll Feb. 16, 1915 Koehler Dec. 24, 1940FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date 1 Great Britain July 9, 1931 France June29, 1912

